005 Alexandra Barth and Hannah Lee
Armory, Willy Wall, Pulp
But first
Did you know that there is a little barge in New York Harbor with a bar on it called the Willy Wall that you can watch Manhattan Yacht Club1 sailing races from?? A coworker friend of H’s invited us for her birthday2 and it was great! The views are incredible. There’s still time to see for yourself, as there are a couple weeks left before it closes for the season.
We went to see the 555th performance of Pulp on Friday the 13th, at the beautiful Kings Theater.3 While I knew we were in for a good time, I didn’t know to expect the DRAMA that is Jarvis Cocker on stage. I can only describe it as a white British man vogueing. Straddling two monitors for a large portion of the show, singing from a supine position, charming banter. A lovely evening.
Saturday was the most epic New York fail I’ve had in some time. In the morning I tried to go to CJ Hendry’s flower spectacular on Roosevelt Island. They shut it down as we were arriving. Later in the afternoon I tried to go to the Driveway show in Rockaway and due to immense subway failures I eventually gave up and just went home after 1.5 hours and not getting very far at all. Sometimes the city is just working against you. But it’s never a fully bad day if you end it at a house party, which we did. Sunday the CJ Hendry Flower Show got moved to my very own neighborhood and I relished walking over and baking in the sun while we waited in line on what felt like maybe the last day of summer. Got a big ole bouquet as retail therapy consolation for the waste of the day before and now will have beautiful cartoonish flowers in the house every day.
I’ve been putting off tackling all the good work I saw at The Armory and other fairs because there was just so much. There’s no way out but through. Let’s just get into it!
The Armory
It’s been many years since I’ve been to the Armory, and I guess it is considered a boring art fair? The mega galleries like Gagosian, David Zwirner, Hauser & Worth, etc were not in attendance this year and some said - more boring! I disagree. I had the best day wandering around the Armory. I saw many artists whose work I love, artists I’ve been dying to see in person, and new artists I had never heard of and whose next show I will not miss. In elaborate art installations it may have been lacking, but art that a normal person might want to put in their home, you know, paintings, photography, sculpture. For these, there was no shortage of work to be excited about. I particularly enjoyed the Presents section4 where I basically got to see a second fall opening from some of my favorite galleries.
I mean, Easí Alfredo’s booth at Spinello Projects. It was on many best of the fair lists and I agree. His large saturated duotone paintings are inspired by the cinema and have a surreal almost sci-fi vibe to them. Dying to see more. Here is a link to the PDF since they aren’t really online anywhere.
Really loved Katinka Lampe at Galerie Ron Mandos, stunning portraits.
YaYa Yajie Liang at Lyles & King was really giving me Cecily Brown wet wet paint in the best way. Gorgeous palette, markings, all of it.
Alec Soth so good as always, one of the pillars from my college days, seeing his work will always feel like coming home.
Sung Hwa Kim creates interior still life paintings that are so imaginative and a little fantastical. I always love seeing them.
Adore Andy Dixon always forever5. The Hole’s booth was great top to bottom.
Malaika Temba’s incredible textile works at Gaa. The very first thing I saw, what a way to start the day.
Ali Kazim’s perfect use of color. Fantastic portraits.
Loved the paintings, but also really loved the install for Tomo Campbell at Cob Gallery, very reminiscent of Colleen Herman’s show at Olympia earlier this year. A living Instagram carousel.
Speaking of which, Colleen Herman had a great new piece at Eric Firestone Gallery’s booth.
I really liked Kenichi Hoshine, beautiful. Need to see more of this work asap.
Hollis Heichemer, of course, one of my all time favorite painters. The colors, the gestures, no one does it quite like she does. One of her’s is going on a big wall one day.
A lovely little Bernice Bing. Can’t wait to see the show of her work at Berry Campbell.
Jaclyn Conley’s abstract landscapes were really stunning.
Rachel Mica Weiss, my goodness. The mix of the luminous alabaster chain mail and the metal chains suspending it, so so good. She has a show featuring similar work with Carvahlo Park, which opened last night, and I will definitely go check that out.
Finally saw Ben Tong’s luminous, thinly-layered, beautiful paintings in person.
Sarah Awad! It’s been far too long since I’d seen her work in person.6
Love a Stephen Shore always.
Loved Anastasia Samoylova’s booth at Wentrup. I didn’t know her work and looked her up only to see that she has a show opening at THE MET featuring her work and Walker Evans’ in a show about Florida opening in October. NBD! Looking forward to that.
Tragically my own poor sense of direction thwarted me again when I got turned around at some point and ended up missing all together Jackie Gendel’s show with SOCO Gallery. Whose work I love, I was very sad when I realized this on the train ride home.7 😭
Ok this is so long already, there were so many more artists at The Armory that I loved that aren’t included here, but I’ll keep it moving! (I will include pieces I liked from other fairs in the next one.)
Alexandra Barth and Hannah Lee
I was struggling to decide who would be the featured emerging artist this week and then realized this is my newsletter and if i want to have two, I’ll have two! I saw both of their work for the first time at The Armory and can’t wait to see more from them in the future.
First, Alexandra Barth! The extreme angles of view really grabbed me. Having studied photography in college8 I think I’m subconsciously pulled to work which include elements more often featured in photography. This tracks since Alexandra begins her process with photographs. So much drama in these very simple, elegant home interiors! I love it. She is using an airbrush. It has a very soft, flat effect, and she’s focusing mostly on neutral colors. I’ve probably seen other work made using this technique and not realized it, but maybe not. It seems very challenging to achieve this level of detail and she doesn’t appear to be taping off anything from what I could tell, but then again I don’t really know how an air brush works kind of assuming like spray paint? Any which way, the work is incredible.
I just keep coming back to the word ‘elegant’ to describe her work, in the press release they use ‘ghostly’ which also feels accurate, there is something mysterious about them. Maybe it’s just that she has several paintings of curtains, but she feels like the inverse of Dirk Braeckman to me, the light to his dark and gritty. Who, now that I think about it also has that muted flash photography feel to his work. Alexandra’s paintings are medium sized, some an even more intimate size, quite small. They would look damn good in my house, that’s for sure. I believe this show is sold out, but I will be keeping an eye out for the next one.
Mrs. was the gallery behind this beautiful show. They had a show of her work last winter apparently, I’m furious to have missed it, but will not be missing the next one. This gallery has been on my radar for a minute, Sarah Palmer’s work also looks quite interesting. Will have to make it out there for a show soon (I live in south Brooklyn, the other end of the earth, quite a trek.)
Hannah Lee in Mecki Meng’s booth was one of my other favorite discoveries. Her quiet, familiar paintings really sucked me in. Featuring everyday interactions and interiors, they feel very autobiographical but there is something a little secretive, a little ominous in them. She paints over elements, leaving past versions visible on small panels, some you could easily hold in your hand. Rich with detail beautifully painted and shadowy corners that you can’t fully see into. (Some of her previous work is much brighter.) I wish I had spent more time there as only a couple of the pieces are online.9 She had a solo at Entrance in 2021, but I think we are well overdue for another. I can’t wait to see the next ones.
Three Books
Some Trick: Thirteen Stories by Helen DeWitt
I’ve had to admit to myself that short stories are just not really my thing. But dammit, I needed more Helen DeWitt. And this is all we’ve got! If you’ve not read her two novels, Lightning Rods and The Last Samurai, do so immediately. You will not regret it. This woman is just operating on another plain. This interview, what is even happening here. But also please give us the 10 books mentioned. Are we ever going to get another one?? We might not. Despair.
Money by Martin Amis
It’s been a little exhilarating revisiting some old and finally getting around to some new to me books within the oeuvre of depraved literature from the 80s and 90s (or should I say the late 1900s?) It can be fun reading about absolutely despicable characters doing horrible things. I read Time’s Arrow a few years ago, which floored me. I’ve clearly been missing out on Martin Amis. It was sad to lose him last year, but we are lucky to have so many of his books. I can’t wait to dig into more of them. I’ve just started this one and it’s already a banger.
Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
I’ve really enjoyed making my way through this book. I’ve just been reading a chapter now and then before bed. Sidney takes you through the whole process of making a movie. He’s efficient, never caught up in the jargon, never lingering too long. I’m often surprised to be done with that chapter, that aspect, and on to the next. It’s filled with anecdotes from set, and other charming stories. It’s clear that he is a humble man with a lot of respect for the craft and, notably, especially, everyone’s time. He doesn’t get the glory that some of the more draconian director’s get, but he probably should. Again and again I think, “Oh right, that’s him too!” An incredible collection of films.10 Written for people in the film world and those outside it. This book will change the way you watch movies going forward.
And lastly
There is a launch party for Hilary Harkness’ first book on September 26 from 6-8pm at Flag Art Foundation. She’ll be there signing books and a harpest will perform. You don’t see that every day. You can also order the book here. Her’s was one of the best shows of last year. Really eager to see her next body of work.
On a very random note, I fell into my nerdiest K hole yet. I got an ad on Insta for ceramic keycaps and spent two weeks watching youtube videos about a bunch of nonsense like “linear mechanical keyboard comparisons” and “lubed vs non-lubed swtiches.” But ended up with the most gorgeous creamy/thocky build.11 Hard to tell in the photo but the keys are a heart stopping deep indigo. Will be making quite a racket on upcoming zoom calls.
Ok! Follow along on Instagram for more in between art tidbits.
What did you see at Armory that you loved? What are you looking forward to this week?
More soon!
Anything with the word “yacht” in it is generally not my vibe. I think boat culture is annoying, but this was chill and fun! I was dressed in normal New York attire, black boots, leather jacket, jeans, etc. Everyone but a couple others (grateful to the other woman that showed up in cowboy boots!) were in preppy athletic wear, boat shoes, sneakers, etc. Intel should you care to dress the part. You can watch the boat races twice a week and also go any other night during the season which runs about May - October. The view is incredible, they have a full if modest bar, but no food, many brought their own. More info here.
I had just happened to see the hot take subway guy when he had the person on who said the kindest thing you can do is go to someone’s birthday party. And I agree! Always go to the birthday party. In this instance I discovered this cool little corner of New York that I’d never heard of.
Which if you still haven’t been, the theater is so gorgeous, just go see anything. We were in row AA just off to the side and these have got to be the best seats in the house. Sound was perfect, on the floor, second section back from GA. Front row of that section with a walkway in between so a big break, very helpful for all the other shorties out there. Going out and buying a new phone after the seeing the woman near us zooming into HEAD AND SHOULDERS of Mr. Cocker in crispy vision. It was insane.
This section features art galleries that are younger than 10 years old.
The grid wallpaper in their booth made me feel extra validated in my purchase of the grid curtains I just hung in my living room.
Night Gallery, when are you opening an east coast location??
I witnessed this amazing moment where an older woman grabbed some gallery man’s arm and asked him, “How the hell am I supposed to find my way around in here?” “Oh I know, it’s such a maze, it can be very confusing.” “No, I would like you to tell me some sort of path or directions so that I can get though this thing.” He did not have a solution for her.
Earlier in this life I was a photographer, you can see my work here. There is one weird little series I’m still working on and I shoot 3D photos when I travel, but other than that, it’s just too similar to my day job and there are too many other things that I love to commit even more time in front of a screen. I think about picking it up again sometimes. Who knows.
How can I only find 3 of the paintings from this show online anywhere?? Update your websites! I need more. Ala Frankie Valli, I’m begging.
12 Angry Men, Network, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Murder on the Orient Express, The Wiz, others.
This is very left field for me. I am not a tech person, I am not a gear person. But if you’d like the specs: Wobkey Rainy 75 Pro (I would recommend buying this on Amazon. It’s a Chinese company and I think this is the first product they’ve manufactured? While very few poor reviews, and I’ve had no issues, those that did took quite a while to get a response and then replacement. A bit easier through Amazon, and a little extra insurance.) Ceramic key caps from Cerakey in indigo (currently sold out). I had the Gateron Milky Yellow switches on there, but it was actually TOO creamy so I went back to the Rainy 75 stock. I’m not even going to try to record audio of how good this sounds, but you can listen to something similar here. Insane. Had no idea I desperately needed this. Beware you might suddenly need as well.
If you need a little more deWitt that is funny, surprising and totally unique, I highly recommend "The English Understand Wool".